30. Colonel NEWMANasked the Minister of Labour whether a committee of women has been formed to administer £500,000 of public money in connection with the training of women war-workers; whether this committee consists of peeresses, representatives of trades unions, and Government officials; and will he consent to receive a deputation to urge that women members representing the middle classes should be co-opted on the committee?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe committee to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is, in the main, the same committee which during the War carried on the work for the relief of distress amongst unemployed women. The committee has obtained from the National Relief Fund a sum of £500,000 with which to carry out training for women whose earning capacity has been prejudiced owing to the War. As regards the second part of the question, I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a list of the committee as at present constituted. As regards the request that I should receive a depu- 1206 tation, which apparently would represent the necessity to increase the membership of the committee, my hon. and gallant Friend will observe that it is already a large committee. But I will further discuss its constitution with my advisers.
Colonel NEWMANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that not one of the members of the committee can be described as belonging to the middle class?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI dissent from that. Surely the trade union women with whom the hon. and gallant Gentleman is evidently familiar, and the Ministry of Labour women he would not put very much higher than the middle class.